Flying-machine.



W. W. GIBSON. FLYING MAOHINE.

APPLICATION I"ILED MAB.. 11, 1910.

' Panam-ea- De. 13, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

mgl."

WIT/VFSSES:

w. w. GIBSON.

FLYING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED MALll, 1910. l Y

` Patented Deo. 13, 1910;

2 MEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES:

I entran -s'rnfrns PATENT onirica. l

'WLLIAM VALLACE GIBSON, OF VICTORLA, BBlTISI-I COLUMBIA, CANADA,ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF T0 DAVID V7. HANBUPVY, OF VICTORIA, BRITISHCOLUMBIA, CANADA.

FLYING-MACHINE.

armee.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 13, 1910.

application filed. March 11, 1910. Serial N o. 548,631.

To all whom it' may concern:

f angle the ascent or descentot the machine Be it known that. l, WmmnriVALLicn l is controlled in a manner that will be ex- Gisor, citizen otthe Dominion of Canada, residing at Victoria, in the Province of British(kilnmbia, Canada, hare invented a new and eselul lillying-Machine, olwhich the following is a speci lication.

This invention relates to a flying machine or aeroplane particularlydesigned to confer advantages in stability and in simplicity otStructure in machines of this class.

The machine embodies an important novel feature of design in the use oiiYanes which are lengthwise extended in the line of flight indist-inctionto the customary practice ot lateral extension across that line. Thislongitudinal extension of the vanos not only -vanes Jior that lpurposethus materially sun* 'plifying the structure of the machine, A furtheradvantage of this forni of vane is 'that the air currents to and fromthe propellers which are in the iniddle line and under the varies actupon the vanos throughn ont their length, and tend to maintain thestability of the machine and the directness of its flight. llhere isalso the obvious advantage that the longitudinal. vanos otl'er lessresistance to the air in the direction ot light and can there iresustain the flightot a machine with less horsepower of engine or enablea higher speed to be attained with the saine horsepower. In applyingthis principle of longitudinally disposed vanes l have found that thebest results i-n stability are attained by the adoption of twostruetnrally separate varies one projecting tor ward and the otherbackward from the cene tral iframe within which is the engine and theseforwardly and backwardly directed varies are angled upward from themiddle 'line toward the edges and have their greatsatisfactory. Theangle ot the backwardly projected rane is definitely iixed in thestructure, but. that of the forward one is variable within set vlimitsand by the variation of the plaincd.

` The invention is particularly described in the followingspecification, reference heilig made to the drawings by which it isaccompanied, in which:

Figure l is a vertical longitudinal section through the middle line oithe machine, Fig. Q, a plan, Fig. 3, a cross section on the line A it inFigs. l and E?, taken in direction of the arrow A, il, a cross sectionat B B in lfig; l taken in the direction of the arrow B, and 5 and 6,cross section and side elevation of the vane frame showing the con-.struction of cross which carries the truss Wires, Fig. 7, representsthe line of descent ofthe aeroplane when falling ree.

The main central frame within rwhich the engine 2 is secured isypreferably constructed of two forward uprights 3 and after uprights Ll,the forward uprights 3' extending above the height of the after ones toforni a mast or strut to receive the truss'wires which brace ,theforward and after vane trames in their attaclnnent to the centraltraine. From the upper end of 4: and between each pair of uprights 3 and4f a horizontal traine niember 5 extends, and between the lower ends of3 and l is a bottom member 6 which, with the member tl to 'which theengine is secured, forni the central traine. Extending forward' andbackward from the upper-horizontal member 5 ot this central frame and indirect alineinent with it, are the inidmembers 7 and 8 ot the forwardand after vanos. llhese inidineinbers 7 and 8 are stayed and braced byhigh carbon steel wires l2 which pass from each end and fromintermediate positions, throughthe ends Ofcrosscs formed of thin flatsteel springs l1 secured to light metal hubs l0 through which themembers and 8 pass, the flexibility of the members 'll being lengthwisetoward the ends ot' the vanes.

From the approxiinateinid-length of each member 7 and 8v steelwires 13extend to the top of the uprights 3 a nd downward under 3 and l also,see Fig. 2, to the ends oi' a meinber l5 secured'across the horizontalmember 5 and extending laterally on each side therefrom. 'By these wires13 the vane fra-nies are etl'etztually braced vertically and laterallyto the central frame or' the machine. y this manner of trussing, astrong elastic ien ` vane iraine is furnished for the support of thetaliric which is stretched over it.

.\t the middength of the rear vane two stretcliers lo are secured lo themid frame 8 and are maintained at a fixed angle by a cross brace i7, andfrom the ends of the central nleinlier a steel wire i8 is stretched overthe ends of iti forming an elongated diamond shaped traine over whichthe iahric lllis stretched to forni the vanes, the fabric passing underthe bottom Wire l2 which trusses this vane. Between 12 and i8 the fabricis not supported, so that When sustaining the machine in the air itassumes a curve as shown in Figs. 8 and 4, forming soinenf'hat of a keelwhich is considered to.

increase the stability o' the machine and maintain the direetness of itsflight. The fabric of the forward vane is supported in a similar mannerhut the members 2G which keep it stretched, they are required to beadjustable in. their angular relation to one another, are supported bystruts 21 pivotally connected to 2() toward their outer ends, and to aslide block 32 which is vertically inevahle between uprights secured andstayed to the vane frame 7. The slide block 22 is raised and lowered tolessen and enlarge the angle of this forward Vane by a light truesedlever 25 which is fulcrurned at 24: and pivotally connected to the slideblock 22. The slide block 22 is lifted hy the lever 25 against the re:stance of springs 26 secured between the ends of 2O and those of21,Which springs thus maintain the stretchers of the vane in thespread'position the object of which is that while soaring the pressureon the blades does not come on the arm of the aviator unless he desiresto change his elevation.

The handle end of the lever reaches adjacent `to the seat 30 of theaviator which is shown in the drawings as in the ,upper for 'ard part'of the central iti-aine hut :may he moved to a more convenientposition.

A triangular rudder 31 is pivoted to a rudder post 32 projecting upwardfrom the rear end of the hack vane member 8, lines 32% being carriedfrom the tiller. 554i to a position so that it. can he operated by thefeet of the aviator.

A pair of Wheels provided with springs are placed immediately under thecentral frame to sustain the weight of the engine and a springA Wheel 3Gis under the extreme outer end of the rear Vvane so that the inachine,when on the ground, isr supported 'in an angled position ready' forascent shown in Figi hy the ground line.

An engine 2 el' approved design secured within the central lranie, onthe forward and alter end of the drivin, halt of which a propeller Il?is secured. the crank shaft passing` throne-h between the pairs oi inprigllts l and l. 'lhe currcntfof air to and evefzsa :from thepropellers will thus act upon^=tne under side of the vanes.

l do not desire. to he confined to the particular manner of constructingthe framework' of the aeroilane as set forth in this application, suc imay he iniofiliied Within Wide limits Without departing from the spiritof the invention, the essential features of which lie, l consider, inthe use of long narrow'vanes projecting in the line of movenientforwardly and leaclrwardly *from the central irarne to which the engineis secured each of these vanes being angled upward from their 'middleline toward their edges and tapered 'toward each end from a maxiinumwidth approximate to their niiet.

length and means for varying the angle of one of them.

Owing to the t'aet that the leading vane encounters undisturbed air andis therefore better sustained the"eon that the following vane can loe onthe air which is broken up by the passage the forward. part o themachine, the aeroplane has a natural. tendeney to tilt upward in .frontwhich tendency hy the provision .for Varying the leading vane is inadeuse of to control the ascent or descent of 'the machine.

This forni of aeroplane is plienornenally stable without theeentralffrarne and engine.. 'lt will, if overturned, right itselfA andin falling;n from a height it moves len thwie ano follows a series ofrever ed inc ined convert curves somewhat as illuef trailed in Fig. 7,angling its fall is olriviously advantageous in that the machine will ofits own accord fallin an oblique line.-

Having now particularly described nvention and the nia-nner or its use,l hereby declare that 'what l claim as new and desire to he protected inby Letters loatent," is.

l. ln a flying niaehne, relatively narrow elongated varies extended inthe .line of, lflight one from the forward and oneroni the after partor' central frame Within which the engine is secured said venes beingangled upward 'from the middle line toward their edges, and means forvarying the angle of the forward vane.

2. ln a. dying machine, vaneselongated in the line of flight each vanevtapered toward each end from its mid-length and angled upward from themiddle line toward their edges and ine-ans for varying the angle.

ln a flying inaclnne the combination with a central trarne to which thepropelling engine is secured haring two n'oiiellers one the angle of.

This inherent qualityA of llo in liront of and one hehii'id the centralframe,

4. In n flying machino. :i central frame unos to the central frzimv andu1 mns for within \\l1i li llio propelling engine is se varying the:ingle of the forward van@ from vin-ml lnn'ing um propvlvrs one, on thefront the seal'. of the aviator.

:ind oml on llw lnuk vnd of the engine shaft, In testimony whereof Ihave Signed my D elongated narrow vanos extending 1ongitullam to thisspecification in. the presence 1i;

dinall)7 from The. ventral frzune. one ovelnthe of two subscriblngWitnesses.

forward and one over the backward pro- VILLIAM WALLACE GIBSON. pellersaid vanas being angled upward from Titnessesz A themiddle line towardtheir edges, means l A. S. INNES,

10 :forsecxuing and staying tho frames of these l ELXZABETH M'.- PRATT.

